Fudge Cupcake Murder (Hannah Swensen Series #5)

RECOMMEND

I like these books, they take you out of your world and into Hannah's.
I have read 1 thru 5 and reading 6 now.
Good Books.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

enjoyable

If you love to eat and read, this series is for you. I enjoy the reading. It isn't a rush to the end kind of book. However, it is far better than a lot of the junk I've decided to try. It is finishable. I do get a bit tired of her putting up with the hunk because he is a hunk and not really a good fellow. But, that is personal prejudice.

The stories are good. However, I do wonder when the only ones left in the small town will be her small circle of friends. Maybe the cookie lady is doing in everyone just to pin it up on someone she doesn't like?

2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Highly recommended

This is another great book by Joanne Fluke. I love her Hannah Swensen mysteries

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Give Me FLAVOR & Hear Me ROAR!!

True to her series¿ successful addictions, again Fluke provides readers with an anticipated invite into morning routines with Hannah¿s macho cat, Moishe, this time introducing the battle of the Crunchies. This cat continues to do a reader capture, maybe a kidnap. His shenanigans could make a cat-a-phobic warm up to hair balls. Loved the various executions Moishe devised for flavorless Crunchies. The Vet had advised Hannah to cajole Moishe to gobble up Senior Cat Food, with a force-feed-tag included if necessary. Throughout the novel I prayed that Hannah wises up and gives Moishe his 'burger' HIS way. (This was a ruff-n-tumble alley cat prior to Hannah taking him in eating who knew what out of the sewers of life.) Of course Hannah's morning ministrations wouldn't be complete without her unwelcome mother clanging into a busy daughter's life, a mother reviled with relish. Dolores doesn't appear to be a Joan Crawford parading the 'Mommie Dearest' mystique. The mother here is merely a nosey, critical, demanding, domineering, bad taste influence in Hannah's life, a woman who always refers to Hannah, tellingly, as 'dear,' and never hits a good time to step into Hannah's constant rush. It seems that Fluke dearly wants to paint Dolores as a hometown, modern day, sour-milk-mamma, destructive to a daughter's spirit shining gleefully off-beat to her own drummer. Yet, I catch welcome flashes of redemption flickering through devious Dolores's seemingly thin veneer of character. Enjoyed the morning routine twist in this book when Hannah was dreading Dolores's voice on the phone and heard Andrea instead. Liked the fact that Dolores distanced herself a bit from her daughters in this book. Maybe Dolores is stepping out of a warn-out character, turning the tide of interest toward her instead of away? This may be a good sign for those daughter readers who've lost Mom and felt that loss. Also enjoyed the focus on Mike in this mystery, with Norman kept off page somewhere through most of the plot (though I honestly like both these men, almost equally). The draw of Mike's sex appeal is played up well in this book, stimulating Hannah's bemoaned lack of sophistication into steaming up her cookie wagon windows, as she happily learns a little late in life about adolescent auto alignment. Fluke fills up the tank of readers' questions about to whom (when, why, and where) Hannah will give an exclusive commitment. With coffee for blood, this cozy author percolates ongoing, unanswered questions. I closed the book with hunger pangs satisfied, yet with an appetite for the newest hardback in the series.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Highly recommend entire series!

Easy breezy reading with characters that have their own personalities and come out as "real" people.

Check us out

Night the first book in the results

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Kelsey to cam

Go to the third book

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Chey

Walks in wearing short shorts and a tank top and high heels.... hey guys

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great read

Great recipes and engaging storyline.

Yummy

Cute fun and an easy breezy read

For the baker

The recipes are yummy. Its not a bloody murder mystery romance but its very entertaining. All the ladies in my family like the series. Ages 28 to 85.

Highly Recommended

I have always loved investigative stories. This one was just so much fun to read. For me a real page turner.

Fudge Cupcake

I loved book 5 just like the others. Norman and Mike are just as great as the last book and poor Hannah is going to have to make a decision soon unless more murders come in to play. I am looking forward to book 6. Joanne Fluke knows how to write a good mystery.

Delicious and funny

Delicious and funny

Good read and good recipes are an added plus!

I like all her books. The recipe idea is rather unique. Wish I had more time so I could try them all. Am reading my way through the whole series.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Oh fudge, another death...,

Hannah is back with another adventure and as usual there's trouble around her sweet smelling cookie shop. Small town of Lake Eden is plagued by murders, this time it's the Sheriff and he's not a nice guy; there are a lot of people who would want him out of their hair. Things get even more complicated when all eyes fall on her brother-in-law Bill who was running against Grant in the upcoming election and once again Hannah must take it upon herself to help and clear his name. At least her shop isn't a crime scene but her chocolate cupcake is found near Grant's body as he was eating it when someone hit him on the back of his head. The more she sleuths the more dirt she finds about seemingly innocent people who have lived in Lake Eden for years. As usual she does more work than the police, I don't even know why they have a police force there when the town baker solves all the crimes...

The mystery wasn't really tough; I didn't even bother trying to figure out who did it because so many unimportant clues were thrown in that after a while I gave up and simply read the book, waiting to see the answer. I adore this series; I will read it to the very last book written but this hasn't been my favorite so far. It was a bit dry; the sleuthing felt a bit tedious and was interrupted with the commotion of Hannah's recipe collection for the Lake Eden Cookbook, I did enjoy the sub-plot of the mysterious ingredient in the fudge cupcakes, that was fun and I am curious to try and make the recipe myself. My only complaint is that almost every single cookie recipe in Fluke's books call for melted butter, I usually whip my butter for cookies, this is the first time I see this banal way of making sweets, everything has very similar base but the main ingredient is the stand out of the recipe, I would like to see more variation on the techniques, I think people can handle little more than melting fifty sticks of butter though the series.

Another thing that is bugging me and probably everyone else is the Hannah, Mike and Norman triangle. She has two boyfriends as she calls them even though I never see anything going on, these people don't even hold hands! If she gets one kiss once every two books it's an explosive amount of action. I think its hilarious how she can't choose which one she's rather marry if they don't even care to sweep her of her feet. A guy knows if he likes a girl, it's probably a yes or no decision that takes a second, not years for him to make up in his mind. He might not tell the girl he likes her but he will know, and these two are really lame boyfriends who probably haven't even seen Hanna's elbows aren't in any rush to do anything other than talk about mundane things. Norman is sweet and safe but boring and Mike is all ready flirting with other women, louse catches no matter whom you choose. Love is supposed to be Earth shuttering, not a way to settle, even in a book. Lake Eden is a very strange little town, people don't have cell phones or cable and the romance is so old-fashioned I'm shocked people are having any babies at all, they only seem to die there and Hannah has to solve their mysterious deaths. I also noticed the lack of focus on the time line. Halloween season was also barely mentioned, half the time I couldn't remember what time of the year it was, only at the end it was clear that it's October. I felt like the book was a little scattered but still a fun read.

The books are still addictive and cozy; I seem to want

Who Shot The Sheriff

Who killed the Sheriff while he¿s eating one of Hannah¿s fudge cupcakes is the mystery that must be solved. Hannah, along with sister Andrea, Bill, Andrea¿s detective husband, Norman, the town¿s dentist and Hannah¿s boyfriend and Mike, Hannah¿s detective boyfriend, along with the rest of the residents in Lake Eden, Minnesota work to find the culprit. But who would want to kill the sheriff, one of the most despised men in Lake Eden? Could it be one of the deputies who solved a case that the sheriff took credit for? Could it be the sheriff¿s granddaughter¿s mother? Or could it be Detective Bill who¿s running for sheriff? Almost everyone in Lake Eden is a suspect but can Hannah clear her brother-in-law before Detective Mike stop looking for other suspects? Fudge Cupcake Murder is a great read.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Very Good Mystery, Well Written, Good recipes

Hannah Swensen mysteries are very enjoyable because the main characters who appear in each book (Hannah, her sister, mother, brother-in-law, two boyfriends, etc.) are realistic and believable. The plot is plausible and the humor is very subtle and ever present. Hannah is co-owner of the Cookie Jar, so there is always talk about great cookies and recipes too. This series is excellent for a light read which will make you laugh and feel good.

Watch for the misprint!

Fudge Cupcake is the latest in this superior series that keeps getting even better. Along with a first-rate mystery it serves up good humor, a warm human glow and desserts to break the resolve of the most resolute dieter. I¿ve baked some of Hannah¿s fudge cupcakes and they are the most scrumptious thing since my Mom¿s apple pie. BUT A WARNING: there¿s a misprint in the first printing. The fudge cupcake recipe calls for BAKING POWDER, not baking soda. The author¿s website says it will be corrected on all later printings.